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Waipā District Council will shut the doors of its Cambridge and Te Awamutu offices today as well as halls, playgrounds, pounds and other community facilities across the district.

The sweeping measures follow an announcement by the Government to move immediately to alert level 3 and then, in 48 hours, to alert level 4 in the fight against Covid-19. Alert level 4 will require all non-essential businesses to close and New Zealanders to self-isolate in their homes for at least four weeks.

Waipā District Council chief executive Garry Dyet said Council would continue to offer essential services to residents, and phone and internet services.

"This will be a major shift for our whole community and it is crucial that we all work together and look after each other. While this might be a fairly stressful time for many, we need to remain calm," says Garry.

"Much of Council's services can be accessed remotely so residents will still be able to get in contact with us over the phone or online. We will be doing everything we can to ensure business continues as usual while keeping our staff safe."

Dog parks, most public toilets and other recreational spaces will still be open to the public but residents are urged to practise physical distancing measures when using these spaces.

"It is still important for people to get out into the fresh air when they can so our parks and green spaces will still be open. It is really important, however, that we keep our distance from each other and put safety first."

Dyet said Council would hold an urgent meeting today to discuss which essential services would be available and how it would continue to govern during the shutdown period.